One more (Salt Lake City Wedding Photographer)

from J&A's engagement session. Love the colors in this one.

Just call him 'master'

of accounting, that is. I'm so proud my hubby is graduating this year with both of his degrees (combined 5-year program). It's been a long time coming, and he deserves it. Last sunday between early morning church meetings and normal service, we went over to his home of 6 years--the marriott school--and shot these grad photos.

i'm running a screamin' deal on grad photos and announcement design (if you don't want to go with the icky school-sponsored announcements). email for details.

we printed his announcements in on beautiful, heavy, recycled linen cardstock (cuz we're green like that). they measure 5" x 7", so we were able to print two per page, saving money and trees (although i didn't save that many trees since i printed them twice, per my obsessive perfectionism).
*i have to credit my friend kandis with design input on his announcement.

Corey & Mike: Engagements (Provo Wedding Photographer)

turns out c & i go way back. we lived on the same floor freshman year for the two weeks i lived with a crazy roommate. then i moved, and we met up again at law school. she & m are getting married in beautiful san diego this spring--i am so excited for them!

one of our locations was the outside of an old-fashioned candy shop. the owner brought us out some "lolli-flops" (candy speak for "seconds"). the cherry chocolate were delicious.

J+A: engagements in b+w

I love photographing pretty people. I had a fun time with j + a, especially once A opened up and gave me sass. I was also real glad to have such a big guy around since I was approached by a scary homeless man (who may or may not have been trying to steal my camera) while I was waiting for them to arrive.

We got some really fun shots in color, but these are a few of my favorites . . . in black & white.

all images shot on my 50mm 1.4.

Mamanua

Happy birthday to this beautiful lady! One of the kindest compliments I have received in the past few years is that i look like my mama (a compliment I rarely received growing up--I've always thought I look more like my Japanese father). I think my mom is so beautiful, in addition to being endlessly talented. I don't really see the resemblance, but it warms my heart that other people do.

p.s. fingers crossed that one of our future children gets her stunning blue eyes!

Engagement Outtakes

I've been busily sorting and proofing engagement photos from last weekend and came across these lovelies. I love candid shots because they capture real emotion. sometimes it takes a few minutes for new clients to warm up to me or it takes a couple moments to change my camera settings, so I like to keep snapping when couples aren't expecting it (regardless of white balance or aperture) to get shots when they are less self-conscious and more natural. I love these expressions!

As a photographer, i've learned to expect the unexpected and to be flexible. I showed up to one of these shoots with my new camera ready to go, but problems with the shutter forced me to use my backup camera. Much of photography is living in the moment, so sometimes I have to forget about setting up the perfect shot and just snap away (thank goodness I've converted to digital). more of these beautiful couples to come!

30 strangers

i have high hopes for a large project like this (but with my own specs) this summer. so i'm very excited i get to participate in this project and finally meet justin. if you and your mama want to participate, you better act quick. spots filled in 48 hours last year!

shapes and colors

at the smithsonian air & space museum near the dulles airport.

10 years later...

...and still so in love.

I love shooting couples. and I'm so lucky I have two sessions of them this weekend (and some bridals). Stay tuned.

Food Photography

For the capstone project for one of my design/photoshop classes in undergrad I designed a full-color cookbook full of great family and friend recipes. One of my goals since then has been to get it published, but in order to do that, I need my own food photographs. just add that to the list of several large projects I have planned for this summer.

(the appetizer at one of my favorite orem spots, p712)

If you have any great recipes you'd like to contribute, feel free to share!

Entryways

Back in AP photography in high school, I called my area of specialty "entryways." I shot mainly architecture, and specifically, doors, windows, balconies, pathways, and halls. Although I've since redirected my focus from still life to real life, I find this subject matter cropping up in almost every one of my personal shoots. These are a few from one day in D.C. some of these shots framed entryways only subconsciously. I'm still intrigued by the mystery--I want to know what's beyond the curvature of the wall or on the other side of the glass.